Warriors start new era with Christensen at helm

The Warwick boys know all too well what the soothsayers are predicting for them this winter in Section One of the L-L League.

With just two players &tstr; seniors Colin Gibble and Kyle Weaver &tstr; back who have seen major varsity minutes over the past two seasons, let’s just say that the Warriors won’t be considered the top dogs in this race.

“These guys that haven’t had experience are out to prove something,” he said. “And I think especially the guys that are seniors, they sat behind a talented group last year, obviously, but now they’re kinda like, ‘OK, now it’s our turn, so let’s go get it.’ I’m excited for them, really. As long as we’re excited to play and we come out with good energy and we play good defense, that’s what I want.”

Since being hired in June, Christensen has installed a lot of new terminology and new stuff on offense for his players to absorb. Aggressiveness will be of paramount importance. But Warwick’s rookie boss understands that it’s all a work in progress and he believes they are taking steps toward chemistry.

“To be honest with you, we could have four more scrimmages before we play a game,” Christensen said. “That’s not the case. But them just being able to go out there and run it against other people and do the stuff we’re looking for, it’s going to take a little bit. I thought (in last Saturday’s tri-scrimmage against Cocalico and York Suburban), we took some good strides.”

Without a lot of size on this team &tstr; senior Jeremy Armstrong (6-foot-4) and junior Nate Martin (6-5) are Warwick’s big men &tstr; look for the Warriors to play a four-guard offense. Christensen likes the fact that his Warriors have four or five players who can all shoot the ball and spread the scoring around.

“When we shoot well, we’re pretty exciting to watch … For anybody to key on us and say, ‘We’re going to shut this guy down and we’re going to win the game,’ I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Christensen said. “It’s a big advantage for us to have all those guys. If one guy doesn’t have it going, that’s OK because we’ve got some other guys that could have it going.”

Gibble, a 5-foot-11 guard, and senior 6-foot-1 forward/guard Kyle A. Weaver &tstr; not be confused with junior Kyle D. Weaver &tstr; will be counted on heavily. Both are threats from the outside, but they also have the ability to get to the basket.

Gibble averaged 5.9 ppg with 19 treys in 2013-14 before missing most of last season with an injury from football season, while Weaver averaged 5.5 ppg and buried 20 three-pointers for the Warriors squad which lost 58-50 to Reading last February in a District Three Quad-A first-round playoff game.

Seven seniors graduated after leading the Warriors to a 14-9 record last winter.

“We’re really leaning on Kyle and Colin for the leadership part,” Christensen said. “They’ve been through it, they can play with the best of them on offense, and they’re doing a good job on defense.”

Junior guard Ethan Price (5-10) and the younger Kyle Weaver will primarily play the point and help set the tone on the defensive side of the ball.

“We implemented something on defense that they’re not really used to. When we’re in half-court man, our goal is to take the ball out of the point guard’s hand,” Christensen said. “So when you see us all the way up, we’re not really in a press. We’re just trying to get the ball in someone else’s hand just to disrupt them. So those two have a huge role in that because that’s big with me.”

Christensen was encouraged by the effort he got as a team in their scrimmage vs. Cocalico and York Suburban in man defense and 2-3 and 3-2 zone.

“That’s good because that’s something we can control every day,” he said. “Every game, we can bring the same defense.”

Junior guard Tyler Trimarchi (5-foot-11) is described by Christensen as the best three-point shooter for the Warriors. He displayed some of his touch in the scrimmage against Cocalico, burying three straight triples from the left corner.

“I would say Kyle and Colin are our best overall players … defensively, offensively, getting to the basket, leadership, all of that,” Christensen said. “Trimarchi’s our best pure shooter. For that kid, when he gets it going, he gets it going. We had summer league games and he was making nine, eight ‘threes’ a game. The thing about him is, once people find out who he is, then we’ve got to get him open.”

While playing mostly JV in 2014-15, junior guard/forward Alex Lalovic appeared in 11 games off the bench for Warwick in varsity contests.

“He’s an outside threat, he gets in, he’s pretty athletic,” Christensen said. “We’ve just got to get him going a little stronger.”

Armstrong is another of Warwick’s senior leaders, and he’s been taking Martin under his wing.

“Since I’ve gotten here, (Jeremy)’s been a leader in the weight room, a leader in open gym, a leader once we started (pre-season),” Christensen said. “Jeremy’s going to start and Nate will see some time and hopefully come along. He was on the freshman team last year, so he’s making a big step here.”

Sophomore forward Bryan Rottkamp, at 6-foot-0, could be one of the team’s leading rebounders. Nate Miller shouldered a lot of the responsibility on the boards a year ago, and with him being part of a class of seven seniors on the 2014-15 team, that’s an area where Warwick can still improve.

“(Bryan)’s physically ready for varsity basketball,” Christensen remarked. “He is an animal rebounding the ball and getting all over the court and diving on the floor and setting good screens. He’s kinda that guy &tstr; he does all the little stuff.”

Although Warwick’s roster isn’t blessed with a lot of size, Christensen said they can compensate for it.

“Everybody wishes they have a 7-footer,” he noted. “But Nate and Jeremy and even Bryan Rottkamp, who plays like he’s 6-2 &tstr; as long as those guys keep playing with energy and keep doing what they’re doing and boxing out and rebounding the ball, we’ll be OK.”

Senior forwards Owen Neff (6-foot-2) and Bryan Epps (6-foot-1) will also have roles on the team for the Warriors this winter.

“The good part about Owen is he’s pretty versatile and he’s tall and quick,” Christensen said. “So a lot of games, where a guy that Nate might not be able to cover, Owen’s going to be able to cover him. Maybe someone like (Bryan) Karl from Hempfield, somebody who plays on the outside a little bit, that’s kind of a good match-up for Owen. (Bryan Epps) has done a good job of leadership. He’s a little fiery, which is good. He’s done a nice job pushing guys and he can shoot a little bit.”

Warwick gets underway by traveling to Governor Mifflin for its non-league opener this Friday, Dec. 4 and then they will host Garden Spot in their first league game one week later on Friday, Dec.11. The Warriors will face Christensen’s former team, Manheim Township &tstr; for whom he both played and served with as an assistant coach &tstr; on Jan. 8 in Neffsville.

“McCaskey is probably the team to beat. They have (Randolph) Speller and (Kobe) Gantz and those two are pretty tough,” Christensen said. “And then Cedar Crest obviously still has Evan Horn … and Hempfield is very good too. And everybody else, I think we’re all fighting it out. Section Two is very good. Conestoga Valley is very good. Ephrata will be better. The one team I was shocked about was Garden Spot. They’ve got some players. They’re going to shock some people. But there’s no show-up-and-win games. Every single game we have on our schedule is pretty much going to be a dog fight. I’d rather have it like that, honestly.”

Warwick, too, would like to shock some people. And Christensen is hopeful that if his Warriors play with confidence and play to their abilities, they can make a run at the playoffs.

“The players’ goal is pretty much to compete with anybody we play. That’s also our goal (as coaches) is that every game, when it comes down to the fourth quarter, we have a chance to win the game,” he said. “If we do that, and we we play hard defense and do what we need to do offensively and knock down some shots, I don’t see why we wouldn’t be there with every team we play. Our goal right now is to compete with every team we play and let the wins take care of themselves, and when we get to the end, hopefully we’re in the spot we want to be in.”